Xjohn m matthew moss



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"JOHN MATTHEW MOSS, OF PATRIGROFT, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

TRANSFERRING DESIGNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,575, dated February20, 1883.

Application filed February 17, 1882. (No specimens.) Patented in EnglandJanuary 26, 1882, No. 388; in France February 9, 1882, No. 147,284, andin Austria. May 20, 1882.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN MATTHEW Moss, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Patricrot't, in the county of Lancaster, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TransferringDesigns to Surfaces, particularly useful (among many other applications)for the production of electrotypes and printing plates and rollers, (forwhich Letters Patent have been secured by me in Great Britain, No. 388,dated January 26, 1882; in France on the 9th day of February, 1882, No.147,284, and in Austria on the th day of May, 1882;) and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object improvements in transferring designsto surfaces, particularly useful. (among many other applications) forthe production of electrotypes and printing plates and rollers.

My invention relates to the production of etched, engraved, orelectro-deposited surfaces on metallic and other suitable rollers andplates for printing and other purposes; and it consists of a new andimproved method of transferring to such surfaces an exact copy of anypicture, pattern, or design, in either printing, lithographic, or othersuitable ink, oil, or varnish, to serve either as a guide to theengraver or as a resist for the etcher or electrodepositor.

In carrying out this my invention I proceed as follows: If the picture,pattern, or design be of such a nature as to bein all parts opaque andimpervious to light, or it it differ in dimensionsi'rom the requiredetching, I first, by photographic or other means, take a copy of it theproper size upon either glass, gelatine, cloth, paper, or-othertransparent or semitransparent material; but if the original design bealready ot' the required size and upon such material and of such anature that it can be used in the following manner, this is notrequired. The design or copy I then place in a photographic-printingframe or other similar apparatus, upon a sheet of paper, cloth, thinmetal, or other tissue, (hereinafter spoken ofas gelatii1e-tissue,)whichhas been previously covered with a layer of gelatiue, gum, starch, orother substance rendered sensitive to light by treatment with potassicbichromate, am-

monic chromate, or by other suitable means,

and expose the whole to natural or artificial light in such a mannerthat the 'actinic rays can only reach the sensitive tissue by passingthrough the design. I prefer to employ fine calico thickly coated withgelatine and sensi- 6o tized by immersion in a solution of bichromate ofpotash-say one part of the salt to five parts of water. In this I claimno novelty. The sensitive tissue having been thus exposed for asuflicient length of time, Varying with the intensity of theillumination from five to thirty minutes or more, or until the parts ofthe gelatine-tissue to which light has had access are rendered insolublein hot water, is then taken from the printing-frame and immersed in wa-7o ter having a temperature of about 60 Fahrenheit until the bichromateor other sensitive salt or substance is dissolved out, leaving thegelatine upon the tissue. This is then placed in a bath of warmer water,of from to 90 Fahrenheit or more, and allowed to remain there to swellup the unchanged gelatine and form an image of the design in highrelief. This being done, the tissue is taken from the bath, the excessof water removed by the ap- 8o plication of blotting-paper, and itisthen placed upon a smooth fiat surface and allowed to dry sufiicientl yfor the next operation.

For the next operation I require a plate of glass, stone, metal, orother suitable material having an accurately plane surface somewhatlargerin every way than the gelatine-tissue. This I cover (using for thepurpose a roller of gelatine or of indie-rubber or by other suitablemeans) with a fine and even layer of printing, lithographic, or othersuitable ink or varnish, preferring as the best a mixture ofprinting-ink and boiled linseed-oil. I then apply tissue I then apply tothe surface (previously rendered perfectly clean and dry) in tended tobe etched or engraved or electro-deposited upon, whether it he that of aplate or a roller, pressing it in close and even contact by means of aroller, scraper, squegee, or other suitable instrument, and leave it incontact for some little time.

In the case of the surface being that of a roller or cylinder I alsoadopt the following method: I place the inked tissue, inked faceuppermost, upon a perfectly level and plane surface and slowly pass thecylinder over it, the Weight of the latter, when it would be too greatand exert an injurious pressure on the tissue, being reduced by leversand counterpoises properly applied. The roller takes up the tissue as itpasses, and is at the same time pressed into good and even contact withit. After the lapse of a little tiine-say a minute or so-carefullyraising the edge of the tissue,

I strip it off with an even motion leaving upon the metallic or othersurface a perfect copy of the design in the ink or varnish which hasbeen used. This may now either be allowed to dry, etched at once, ortreated in the following manner: I take asphaltum pitch or other similaror suitable material orv any mixture of the same, and reduce it to avery. fine and impalpable powder. Placing this in a linen bag, finesieve, or other suitable arrangement, I dust with it the surfacecarrying the design in the undried ink or varnish until it is coveredwith a tine layer of the impalpable powder. Then by means of a currentof air or Water suitably applied I blow or wash away all the powder fromthe parts of the surface not covered by the ink or varnish, and where ofcourse it only lies loosely. I then heat the plate or roller until thepowder retained melts into the ink or varnish, but not so much as torenderit too liquid, and byrunuing to injure the sharpness of thedesign. On allowing this to cool I obtain upon the surface a hard glossyresinous copy of the design, and it may then be engraved, etched, orelectro-deposited upon in any way desired.

In some processes where a deep etching is required-the printing ofcalicoor other textile fabrics, for example-it is necessary to give to theetched spaces whatis known as a ground, to enable them to hold therequisite amount of color. This ground I obtain in the following manner:Having etched in the design but a small part of the depth ultimatelyrequired, I remove the plate or roller from the etchingbath, wash oii'all traces of the etching-liquor, and allow it to dry. Then I dust it asbefore, but only thinly, with the above-named powder, either fine orcoarse, as the nature of the required ground may necessitate. I then,after heating the plate or roller,so as to cause the bituminous orresinous powder to adhere, again immerse it in the etching-bath andcomplete the etching to the required depth. The etching-liquor now onlybites into the surface in the spaces between the granules of powder, andby using powders of suitable degrees of fineness and dusting them onmore or less thinly any required ground may ,be obtained. The etching ofthe surfaces so treated may be done with either ferric chloride, nitric,hydrofluoric, or other acid or corrosive solution which may be used,varying with the nature of the plate or roller, which may be of eitherglass, metal. or any other material.

Having thus described the naturcofmy said invention and the manner ofperforming the same, I would haveitunderstood that [claim- The improvedmethod of transferring designs, consisting in impressing the design upona gelatine tis ue by the action of light, afterward raising theunchanged portions by moisture, inking the portions so raised, while thechanged parts are left without ink, and finaly pressing the tissue uponthe surface to which the design is to be transferred, substantially asdescribed.

London, 31st January, 1882.

JOHN MATTHEW MOSS.

Witnesses:

JN. DEAN, J. WATT, Both of 17 Graceohurch St, London.

